HA to investigate efficiency gains in roads procurement

The Highways Agency (HA) is to investigate efficiency gains in roads procurement.

Working in collaboration with County Surveyor's Society (CSS) and the Institution of Highways & Transportation (IHT) the study builds on research work carried out by CSS to produce "Guidance on the procurement of transport projects" which was published in June 2003.

The collaboration will underpin the Gershon efficiency review and the 2004 Spending Review. It will investigate the potential for greater standardisation of requirements, better co-ordination of forward programmes, efficiencies throughout the supply chain, consolidation of current and future contracts and the reduction of local overhead costs.

The aim of the collaboration is to deliver savings of £190m in local authority procurement by 2007/08 through improvements in procurement practice.

Fundamental to the proposals is the creation of four Highways Agency/local authority pilot contracts by April 2007.